General Chicago Outfit Info Dumping Ground

[PolackTony]

What about in the suburbs? That's where most of the whites moved, right? Any white gangs out there?

White gang members, yes. White street gangs as such haven’t really existed in Chicagoland in some time, just historically white organizations like the Players and Notes who have had a mixed membership for decades now. Maybe there are some crews of white kids in the burbs who call themselves a name, but we wouldn’t consider that a real “gang” in Chicago.

You had the "Italian Playboys" in Melrose Park and Addison in the '90s but to your point, they were the same as the gangs in the city.

Italian Playboys were big at one time but we’re definitely not in the league of the hardcore gangs. I think they died out when they got into it with MLD. MLD shot up their houses in Addison and that was the end of the Italian Playboys.

Boyz in the Hood gang was an Elmwood Park gang and so were the Harlem Ave Boys. Gang culture has changed significantly since the 90s and is not what it use to be.

One of their members beat another kid to death in Addison in the early '90s as well. Kid went to jail and a connected relative hooked him up with the Northsiders for protection. He got a reduced sentence in a plea deal about 5 years later.

My understanding was that the "Northsiders" thing in the prison system was basically done by the early 80s, as the Royals joined the Folks and rode with them inside, and the GLs the People, etc. May have depended on the joint, though, as from what I know the Northsiders thing in the 70s was mainly based in Menard and some of the medium-security prisons, while the Folks and People leadership formed in Stateville ("the White House"). For me, if it was as late as the 90s and a guy went into the joint and wasn't riding under People or Folks, his organization on the outside wasn't really a "gang" (with a couple of notable exceptions of holdout "renegade" organizations like the Almighty Saints in Back of the Yards).

I don't know much about the history of the Italian Playboys, as they didn't have any presence in the city, but my impression was that they went back to at least the 70s if not the 60s. Down in Cicero and Berwyn, of course, you had Italian organizations like the Arch Dukes and Park Boys that started in the 60s, with the Players forming a bit later. Dukes were gone by the 80s, but the Park Boys (of which Mike Sarno was said to have been a member) were still active to a degree in the early 90s, though by then were riding under the Players as People and seem to have been more like a crew at that time than a real gang. The only organizations from the gangbanging golden age that survived until today there are of course the Players and the Noble Knights (whose membership back in the day was mainly Slavic and Italian) around the old Grant Works.

The Harlem Boys etc, to my understanding, were more like what in the city we used to call "party crews". In other cities, these would probably be thought of as "gangs", but in Chicago, we didn't consider them as such because even though they often adopted gang-like structures and symbolism, they typically didn't engage in hardcore criminal activities (apart from some fighting) and were ephemeral, lasting for only a few years without institutionalizing themselves and recruiting new generations of members.

Again, by the '90s, "white gangs" in Chicago as such were pretty much done, but not the phenomenon of hardcore white gangbangers. The white organizations that survived did so by adapting and recruiting large numbers of Latino members: the Notes, Players, Royals. At the same time, there were always many white members and even prominent leaders in the Latin gangs. For example, in the early 90s, the street boss of the Spanish Cobras was an Irish guy, Bradley C from Artesian and Potomac, one of the roughest Cobras sections; going back to the 70s, the Cobras were even said to have had former IRA members in their ranks (as a Puerto Rican organization, this may seem surprising, but the Puerto Rican independence movement had ties to the IRA and both nationalist movements had strong bases of support in Chicago in the 1970s). People who aren't from Chicago probably read "Latino gangs" and picture Chicano cholos in Texas or California or whatever, but Chicago was totally its own thing and the composition of gang memberships reflected the micro-demographics of each gang chapter.

[PolackTony]

Interesting account from Robert Taylor, a member of the Taylor Dukes in the 50s/60s, on gang culture in his era. Reminds one of the 1983 ceremony, where the Calabrese Bros both recalled having to hold the burning saint card in their palm until it burned down to the skin.



Quote from the book “Compliments of Chicagohoodz”, based on the work of James “Jinx” O’Connor, an old school Guardian Angel who has been documenting Chicago’s street gang culture and history since the late 80s (Jinx used to run the now defunct chicagohoodz website). Anyone interested in the subject who doesn’t own this book should get it.

[Patrickgold]

What about in the suburbs? That's where most of the whites moved, right? Any white gangs out there?

White gang members, yes. White street gangs as such haven’t really existed in Chicagoland in some time, just historically white organizations like the Players and Notes who have had a mixed membership for decades now. Maybe there are some crews of white kids in the burbs who call themselves a name, but we wouldn’t consider that a real “gang” in Chicago.

You had the "Italian Playboys" in Melrose Park and Addison in the '90s but to your point, they were the same as the gangs in the city.

Italian Playboys were big at one time but we’re definitely not in the league of the hardcore gangs. I think they died out when they got into it with MLD. MLD shot up their houses in Addison and that was the end of the Italian Playboys.

Boyz in the Hood gang was an Elmwood Park gang and so were the Harlem Ave Boys. Gang culture has changed significantly since the 90s and is not what it use to be.

One of their members beat another kid to death in Addison in the early '90s as well. Kid went to jail and a connected relative hooked him up with the Northsiders for protection. He got a reduced sentence in a plea deal about 5 years later.

My understanding was that the "Northsiders" thing in the prison system was basically done by the early 80s, as the Royals joined the Folks and rode with them inside, and the GLs the People, etc. May have depended on the joint, though, as from what I know the Northsiders thing in the 70s was mainly based in Menard and some of the medium-security prisons, while the Folks and People leadership formed in Stateville ("the White House"). For me, if it was as late as the 90s and a guy went into the joint and wasn't riding under People or Folks, his organization on the outside wasn't really a "gang" (with a couple of notable exceptions of holdout "renegade" organizations like the Almighty Saints in Back of the Yards).

I don't know much about the history of the Italian Playboys, as they didn't have any presence in the city, but my impression was that they went back to at least the 70s if not the 60s. Down in Cicero and Berwyn, of course, you had Italian organizations like the Arch Dukes and Park Boys that started in the 60s, with the Players forming a bit later. Dukes were gone by the 80s, but the Park Boys (of which Mike Sarno was said to have been a member) were still active to a degree in the early 90s, though by then were riding under the Players as People and seem to have been more like a crew at that time than a real gang. The only organizations from the gangbanging golden age that survived until today there are of course the Players and the Noble Knights (whose membership back in the day was mainly Slavic and Italian) around the old Grant Works.

The Harlem Boys etc, to my understanding, were more like what in the city we used to call "party crews". In other cities, these would probably be thought of as "gangs", but in Chicago, we didn't consider them as such because even though they often adopted gang-like structures and symbolism, they typically didn't engage in hardcore criminal activities (apart from some fighting) and were ephemeral, lasting for only a few years without institutionalizing themselves and recruiting new generations of members.

Again, by the '90s, "white gangs" in Chicago as such were pretty much done, but not the phenomenon of hardcore white gangbangers. The white organizations that survived did so by adapting and recruiting large numbers of Latino members: the Notes, Players, Royals. At the same time, there were always many white members and even prominent leaders in the Latin gangs. For example, in the early 90s, the street boss of the Spanish Cobras was an Irish guy, Bradley C from Artesian and Potomac, one of the roughest Cobras sections; going back to the 70s, the Cobras were even said to have had former IRA members in their ranks (as a Puerto Rican organization, this may seem surprising, but the Puerto Rican independence movement had ties to the IRA and both nationalist movements had strong bases of support in Chicago in the 1970s). People who aren't from Chicago probably read "Latino gangs" and picture Chicano cholos in Texas or California or whatever, but Chicago was totally its own thing and the composition of gang memberships reflected the micro-demographics of each gang chapter.

Northsiders were definitely around in the 90s. They were not created until Ganci and Kellas from the TJOs went to jail in the late 70s or early 80s. They were the ones that started the northsiders I believe. As for the Italian Playboys, the gang that was big in the 90s was started in Addison and Melrose Park. That was their main presence. I don’t think they had a Cicero or Berwyn presence. Cicero and Berwyn already had their own Italian gang presence which made no need for a gang like the Italian playboys.

[PolackTony]

What about in the suburbs? That's where most of the whites moved, right? Any white gangs out there?

White gang members, yes. White street gangs as such haven’t really existed in Chicagoland in some time, just historically white organizations like the Players and Notes who have had a mixed membership for decades now. Maybe there are some crews of white kids in the burbs who call themselves a name, but we wouldn’t consider that a real “gang” in Chicago.

You had the "Italian Playboys" in Melrose Park and Addison in the '90s but to your point, they were the same as the gangs in the city.

Italian Playboys were big at one time but we’re definitely not in the league of the hardcore gangs. I think they died out when they got into it with MLD. MLD shot up their houses in Addison and that was the end of the Italian Playboys.

Boyz in the Hood gang was an Elmwood Park gang and so were the Harlem Ave Boys. Gang culture has changed significantly since the 90s and is not what it use to be.

One of their members beat another kid to death in Addison in the early '90s as well. Kid went to jail and a connected relative hooked him up with the Northsiders for protection. He got a reduced sentence in a plea deal about 5 years later.

My understanding was that the "Northsiders" thing in the prison system was basically done by the early 80s, as the Royals joined the Folks and rode with them inside, and the GLs the People, etc. May have depended on the joint, though, as from what I know the Northsiders thing in the 70s was mainly based in Menard and some of the medium-security prisons, while the Folks and People leadership formed in Stateville ("the White House"). For me, if it was as late as the 90s and a guy went into the joint and wasn't riding under People or Folks, his organization on the outside wasn't really a "gang" (with a couple of notable exceptions of holdout "renegade" organizations like the Almighty Saints in Back of the Yards).

I don't know much about the history of the Italian Playboys, as they didn't have any presence in the city, but my impression was that they went back to at least the 70s if not the 60s. Down in Cicero and Berwyn, of course, you had Italian organizations like the Arch Dukes and Park Boys that started in the 60s, with the Players forming a bit later. Dukes were gone by the 80s, but the Park Boys (of which Mike Sarno was said to have been a member) were still active to a degree in the early 90s, though by then were riding under the Players as People and seem to have been more like a crew at that time than a real gang. The only organizations from the gangbanging golden age that survived until today there are of course the Players and the Noble Knights (whose membership back in the day was mainly Slavic and Italian) around the old Grant Works.

The Harlem Boys etc, to my understanding, were more like what in the city we used to call "party crews". In other cities, these would probably be thought of as "gangs", but in Chicago, we didn't consider them as such because even though they often adopted gang-like structures and symbolism, they typically didn't engage in hardcore criminal activities (apart from some fighting) and were ephemeral, lasting for only a few years without institutionalizing themselves and recruiting new generations of members.

Again, by the '90s, "white gangs" in Chicago as such were pretty much done, but not the phenomenon of hardcore white gangbangers. The white organizations that survived did so by adapting and recruiting large numbers of Latino members: the Notes, Players, Royals. At the same time, there
inwere always many white members and even prominent leaders in the Latin gangs. For example, in the early 90s, the street boss of the Spanish Cobras was an Irish guy, Bradley C from Artesian and Potomac, one of the roughest Cobras sections; going back to the 70s, the Cobras were even said to have had former IRA members in their ranks (as a Puerto Rican organization, this may seem surprising, but the Puerto Rican independence movement had ties to the IRA and both nationalist movements had strong bases of support in Chicago in the 1970s). People who aren't from Chicago probably read "Latino gangs" and picture Chicano cholos in Texas or California or whatever, but Chicago was totally its own thing and the composition of gang memberships reflected the micro-demographics of each gang chapter.

Northsiders were definitely around in the 90s. They were not created until Ganci and Kellas from the TJOs went to jail in the late 70s or early 80s. They were the ones that started the northsiders I believe. As for the Italian Playboys, the gang that was big in the 90s was started in Addison and Melrose Park. That was their main presence. I don’t think they had a Cicero or Berwyn presence. Cicero and Berwyn already had their own Italian gang presence which made no need for a gang like the Italian playboys.

Yeah, I meant the Italian Playboys in MP and Addison -- wasn't saying that they were from Berwyn/Cicero, just that they may have started back in the 60s/70s when there were other active Italian gangs in other near West burbs.

And yes, the Northsiders were credited as having been started by Joe Ganci after he was locked up in '75, as at that time, before People/Folks were organized, the white gangbangers needed a unified front for protection in the joint (whereas later that sort of racial organization wasn't necessary because of the alliances). Everyone that I knew who did time in Stateville and Pontiac in the 90s told me that all the white gangbangers were under the People/Folks like everyone else, which is why I'm wondering if the Northsiders were only a thing in Menard and some other joints. Would be interesting to know how the Northsiders dealt with the fact that by the late 80s/early 90s Royals, GLs, Notes, Players were all firmly in the People/Folks system. I'm thinking the remaining Northsiders were probably older members and those committed to continuing an explicitly "white power" orientation. According to the Stone Greasers website history on the TJOs and Ganci (https://www.stonegreasers.com/greaser/t ... ation.html) "When the North Siders ceased to exist - large white gangs like the Gaylords, Insane Popes, and the Simon City Royals joined the People and Folk alliances which successfully placed all city gangs under one of the alliances", but the Royals had joined the Folks alliance from the get-go, when it was first formed in 1978 in Stateville.

[PolackTony]

One of their members beat another kid to death in Addison in the early '90s as well. Kid went to jail and a connected relative hooked him up with the Northsiders for protection. He got a reduced sentence in a plea deal about 5 years later.

Any stories about the Northsiders having any ties inside to outfit guys? I'd imagine so, given that Ganci and the TJOs seem to have had links to the outfit and you say that this Playboy had a connected relative that got him plugged with the Northsiders. Another connection I'd wonder about would be to the Outlaws, as I've heard that TJO had links to OMC back in the day also.

[PolackTony]

Article from the Chicago Daily News on Bruno Roti (10/07/1958), described as a "mustache", and his 1957 funeral procession, claimed to have been one of the biggest in the history of Chicago.

[PolackTony]

Interesting report in Nick "The Stick" LoCoco's FBI file, where a CI told the Feds that he had been making street tax payments to Skids Caruso into the early 1980s:



Also from LoCoco's file, in 1991, the FBI was attempting to flip a Chinatown restaurant owner who was indicted as part of the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association to testify and build a case against the 26th St Crew, as he was able to attest to street tax payments that On Leong was making to the outfit. The Feds noted that this informant's cooperation would hinge on whether he was convicted in the On Leong case. In 1988, the On Leong's Chicago HQ at Cermak and Wentworth (the famous "Gateway" to Chinatown building) was raided by LE for operating a major illegal casino, and in 1990, On Leong members from the Chicago, NYC, and Houston were indicted on gambling charges. At the trial for the Chicago On Leong later in 1991, however, the jury was deadlocked, convicting On Leong head Wilson Moy and restauranteurs Edmund Moy and Henry Fong on tax conspiracy charges, but unable to reach a verdict on the more serious gambling conspiracy and racketeering charges (the later supported by Bob Cooley's testimony at the trial, where Cooley claimed that Wilson Moy had him deliver a bribe to fix a 1981 Chinatown murder cases involving members of the NYC Ghost Shadows imported to Chicago to carry out hits related to an internal political dispute within the On Leong leadership. Hilariously, several jurors didn't trust Cooley, with one even stating that they referred to him during deliberations as "the snake"). Presumably, either Fong or Edmund Moy was the potential CW referred to in the LoCoco file, as both owned restaurants, but the failure to convict them on serious charges meant that they never flipped on the outfit and thus the Feds were not able to roll the On Leong stuff into their ongoing attempt to mount a major RICO case against the 26th St Crew.

[Patrickgold]

Interesting report in Nick "The Stick" LoCoco's FBI file, where a CI told the Feds that he had been making street tax payments to Skids Caruso into the early 1980s:



Also from LoCoco's file, in 1991, the FBI was attempting to flip a Chinatown restaurant owner who was indicted as part of the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association to testify and build a case against the 26th St Crew, as he was able to attest to street tax payments that On Leong was making to the outfit. The Feds noted that this informant's cooperation would hinge on whether he was convicted in the On Leong case. In 1988, the On Leong's Chicago HQ at Cermak and Wentworth (the famous "Gateway" to Chinatown building) was raided by LE for operating a major illegal casino, and in 1990, On Leong members from the Chicago, NYC, and Houston were indicted on gambling charges. At the trial for the Chicago On Leong later in 1991, however, the jury was deadlocked, convicting On Leong head Wilson Moy and restauranteurs Edmund Moy and Henry Fong on tax conspiracy charges, but unable to reach a verdict on the more serious gambling conspiracy and racketeering charges (the later supported by Bob Cooley's testimony at the trial, where Cooley claimed that Wilson Moy had him deliver a bribe to fix a 1981 Chinatown murder cases involving members of the NYC Ghost Shadows imported to Chicago to carry out hits related to an internal political dispute within the On Leong leadership. Hilariously, several jurors didn't trust Cooley, with one even stating that they referred to him during deliberations as "the snake"). Presumably, either Fong or Edmund Moy was the potential CW referred to in the LoCoco file, as both owned restaurants, but the failure to convict them on serious charges meant that they never flipped on the outfit and thus the Feds were not able to roll the On Leong stuff into their ongoing attempt to mount a major RICO case against the 26th St Crew.

That’s interesting. Some of this is talked about in that new book that I mentioned earlier called the godfathers of Chicago’s Chinatown

[PolackTony]

Interesting report in Nick "The Stick" LoCoco's FBI file, where a CI told the Feds that he had been making street tax payments to Skids Caruso into the early 1980s:



Also from LoCoco's file, in 1991, the FBI was attempting to flip a Chinatown restaurant owner who was indicted as part of the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association to testify and build a case against the 26th St Crew, as he was able to attest to street tax payments that On Leong was making to the outfit. The Feds noted that this informant's cooperation would hinge on whether he was convicted in the On Leong case. In 1988, the On Leong's Chicago HQ at Cermak and Wentworth (the famous "Gateway" to Chinatown building) was raided by LE for operating a major illegal casino, and in 1990, On Leong members from the Chicago, NYC, and Houston were indicted on gambling charges. At the trial for the Chicago On Leong later in 1991, however, the jury was deadlocked, convicting On Leong head Wilson Moy and restauranteurs Edmund Moy and Henry Fong on tax conspiracy charges, but unable to reach a verdict on the more serious gambling conspiracy and racketeering charges (the later supported by Bob Cooley's testimony at the trial, where Cooley claimed that Wilson Moy had him deliver a bribe to fix a 1981 Chinatown murder cases involving members of the NYC Ghost Shadows imported to Chicago to carry out hits related to an internal political dispute within the On Leong leadership. Hilariously, several jurors didn't trust Cooley, with one even stating that they referred to him during deliberations as "the snake"). Presumably, either Fong or Edmund Moy was the potential CW referred to in the LoCoco file, as both owned restaurants, but the failure to convict them on serious charges meant that they never flipped on the outfit and thus the Feds were not able to roll the On Leong stuff into their ongoing attempt to mount a major RICO case against the 26th St Crew.

That’s interesting. Some of this is talked about in that new book that I mentioned earlier called the godfathers of Chicago’s Chinatown

Thanks for the reminder on the book, I need to check it out. I had planned on doing a deep dive on the board into the On Leong, but likely the book already covers anything I’d write. The On Leong were very interesting, in that they basically built Chicago’s second Chinatown after setting up at Cermak and Wentworth in 1912. Their Chicago chapter was the most important after NYC, with those two chapters holding political control over the national organization for decades and providing investment capital for real estate expansion in other cities. The ties between them and the mafia are presumably quite old. The original Chicago Chinatown, at Van Buren and Clark, neighbored the old south Loop Italian colony around Polk and Clark. Then, both Italians and Chinese began moving in large numbers into the Near South Side Chinatown at the same time. Bruno Roti’s grocery store in the 1920s was located on Wentworth, just north of Cermak, and both Tony D’Andrea and Mike Merlo were based around that same block in the 1900s/1910s. Later, in the 60s, Skids Caruso had dice games operating on the same block of Cermak, just west of Wentworth, where the original On Leong building had been and where I believe the On Leong continued to own many of the buildings until the 80s. Presumably, there were a lot of business and personal connections between the two organizations that went back many decades. We also know that the Pittsburgh On Leong had ties to the outfit there, as they were able to set up a sit down between the Chicago and Pitt Families in the 80s to settle a street tax issue for the Chicago chapter.

[Coloboy]

All I know is that the one kid I knew growing up who was from Bridgeport (Italian family friend) had an actual real ninja star. He got in Chinatown......so there's that.

[PolackTony]

All I know is that the one kid I knew growing up who was from Bridgeport (Italian family friend) had an actual real ninja star. He got in Chinatown......so there's that.

Oh yeah, a lot of kids in the city in the ‘80s would walk around with throwing stars, nunchaku, throwing knives, etc that they’d buy in Chinatown. Gangbangers but also regular kids. On the Northside we’d also go to the old Japanese import store on Belmont and Clark in Lakeview. I knew a Puerto Rican dude when I was a kid who would walk around in the hood with a full Japanese ninjutsu gi and tabi (the ninja shoes with split toes) lol. Martial arts flicks were of course hugely popular back then.

[Coloboy]

All I know is that the one kid I knew growing up who was from Bridgeport (Italian family friend) had an actual real ninja star. He got in Chinatown......so there's that.

Oh yeah, a lot of kids in the city in the ‘80s would walk around with throwing stars, nunchaku, throwing knives, etc that they’d buy in Chinatown. Gangbangers but also regular kids. On the Northside we’d also go to the old Japanese import store on Belmont and Clark in Lakeview. I knew a Puerto Rican dude when I was a kid who would walk around in the hood with a full Japanese ninjutsu gi and tabi (the ninja shoes with split toes) lol. Martial arts flicks were of course hugely popular back then.

Hahah for sure. Karate had a big moment at that time

[SonnyC]

Interesting account from Robert Taylor, a member of the Taylor Dukes in the 50s/60s, on gang culture in his era. Reminds one of the 1983 ceremony, where the Calabrese Bros both recalled having to hold the burning saint card in their palm until it burned down to the skin.



Quote from the book “Compliments of Chicagohoodz”, based on the work of James “Jinx” O’Connor, an old school Guardian Angel who has been documenting Chicago’s street gang culture and history since the late 80s (Jinx used to run the now defunct chicagohoodz website). Anyone interested in the subject who doesn’t own this book should get it.

I haven't read the book, but Jinx is somewhat of a controversial character in that world. There were a lot of guys pissed off that Joker's (Palmer Street GL) sweater was featured in the PBS special that aired a few years ago.

[SonnyC]

One of their members beat another kid to death in Addison in the early '90s as well. Kid went to jail and a connected relative hooked him up with the Northsiders for protection. He got a reduced sentence in a plea deal about 5 years later.

Any stories about the Northsiders having any ties inside to outfit guys? I'd imagine so, given that Ganci and the TJOs seem to have had links to the outfit and you say that this Playboy had a connected relative that got him plugged with the Northsiders. Another connection I'd wonder about would be to the Outlaws, as I've heard that TJO had links to OMC back in the day also.

Not sure about the TJO as I don't know any of those guys. I do know that several old school Jousters became Outlaws though.

[SonnyC]

What about in the suburbs? That's where most of the whites moved, right? Any white gangs out there?

White gang members, yes. White street gangs as such haven’t really existed in Chicagoland in some time, just historically white organizations like the Players and Notes who have had a mixed membership for decades now. Maybe there are some crews of white kids in the burbs who call themselves a name, but we wouldn’t consider that a real “gang” in Chicago.

You had the "Italian Playboys" in Melrose Park and Addison in the '90s but to your point, they were the same as the gangs in the city.

Italian Playboys were big at one time but we’re definitely not in the league of the hardcore gangs. I think they died out when they got into it with MLD. MLD shot up their houses in Addison and that was the end of the Italian Playboys.

Boyz in the Hood gang was an Elmwood Park gang and so were the Harlem Ave Boys. Gang culture has changed significantly since the 90s and is not what it use to be.

One of their members beat another kid to death in Addison in the early '90s as well. Kid went to jail and a connected relative hooked him up with the Northsiders for protection. He got a reduced sentence in a plea deal about 5 years later.

Interesting. Never heard this story. Any idea who the guy was that beat someone to death?

Vince DiVincenzo